St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-05-08
Wuz kyurd by smoking, AMI fought as
Is oner his perigree I'd try it myself"
TILDEN WAS ELECTED.
The President of the Louisiana
returning Board Exposes the


returning Board Exposes the
Plot.
NEW ORLEANS, May THE methods
OF Republicans during the days they
controlled offices in Louisiana are rap
idly being disclosed.
Mad Wells, president of the return
ing board which counted in Hayes, is
here to institute proceedings against A.
>. Badger, chairman of the Republican
state committee, which promise to bring
out all the secrets of that famous
tribunal which overturned elections
and made presidents and governors.
Mad Wells is very mad and promises
to give the whole thing away. His COM
plant is that in return for his services
IN counting in Republicans, it was
agreed, through the advice and inter-
Nentlon OF Governor Kellogg, that
Badger, who then held the office of tax
collector, worth S50,000 year, should
sign contract, agreeing to divide the
fees of the Office with him CWells). Not
WIthstanding his contracts, Wells claims
Badger refused to divide the money,
compelling him to bring this suit. In
support OF his claims lie shows q copy
or contracts drawn in duplicate and
signed by Badger and himself, in
which the former agrees to give him
one-half of all moneys realized as
commission, as well as one-half of all
the profits made by purchasing state
warrants and paying them into the
treasury as taxes. Badger further binds
hiluself to run the office as cheaply as
possible so to divide d larger sum be-
tween them. Wells says that when it
became important to count in Hayes,
Kellogg tried TO get him ousted from his
position as president of the returning
board, but he refused to resign In an
Interview with him on the subject of the
count, Gov. Kellogg said: Il admire
your grit, old fellow. You certainly de-
serve political favor and / intend to APP
point you, if you will accept, tax col
lectOr."
Continuing his story, Wells says:
Things remained in statu quo for some
time. In the meantime, however, Hayes
was counted in. Kellogg was elected
to the United States senate and every
thing looked lovely, but there was
different condition of things when the
time arrived for distribution of the state
appointments. Kellogg sent for me,
and after considerable humming and
having, said he did not know what to
do with Badger, who was then incum-
bent of the Fourth district cGllectorship,
and whom | was to succeed undr prom
Use Of Kellogg as made before the count
ing in of Hayes for the presidency.
In reply to the above | said that
L had accepted the proffer as
much to see if he was sincere
as to get the fruits of the Office.
L further said to him: You prefer to
put carpet-bagger in office over your
promise to me, L say to you, although
you be the governor of this state, that
you shall not do II. l shall most GER
talnly hold you to your promise at the
time referred to above. L held the Of
flee of surveyor of the port, and after
some consideration made proposition
to the effect that | would surrender to
Badger the appointment of tax collector
of the Fourth district, provided Gov.
Kellogg would draw up an instrument
OF agreement between Badger and me,
by which was to receive One-half the
profits of that Office. These profits were
to cover the purchase of warrants, the
collection of taxes, ANY and all moneys re-
allied incidentally to the Office, and
all perquiSiteS accruing therefrOm
directly or indirectly. Kellogg advised
this, and Gen. Badger accepted the
proposition and signed the agreement
to that effect. Afterwards, when the
Morrison committee began investigating
the matter of the matter of the presi-
dental election, Badger told Wells to
destroy the contract, lest it might get
him into trouble, ond Wells pretended
to do so, and swore before the commit
tee that he had no interest i'll the cleo
ton, only Il few weeks ago. He in
formed Badger that the contract was
still in existence, and demanded a set
Element, which was refused. Il be-
lieve," said Wells, in finishing his
statement, ''that if l had faltered or
swerved fora moment from my position
as president of the returning board,
Tilden would have unquestionably been
president Of the United States" Gen.
Badger denies this story, but the sig
nature to the contract is his.